Previously, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a gasoline engine including a variable lift mechanism that makes a lift characteristic of an intake valve variable, and a variable valve timing mechanism that makes an opening/closing timing of the intake valve variable by advancing or retarding the central phase of an operating angle of the intake vale. This conventional gasoline engine is configured to perform learning of an error in the control of intake air amount (error between the designed value of the intake air amount and the detected value of the intake air amount by an air flow meter) through the adjustment of the lift characteristic of the intake valve.
It is noted that the present applicant recognizes the following literatures cited blow including the above described one as those relating to the present invention.